Edmonton Oilers’ defenceman Vincent Desharnais is finding his stride in his second NHL season. The towering blueliner is averaging 14 minutes a night on the third pair and scored his first NHL goal at the Heritage Classic on Oct. 29.
It was revealed in early October that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in Desharnais, dating back to last season, and made an offer for him for then-Maple Leaf, Sam Lafferty, but the Oilers declined. Still, it’s easy to see why Edmonton’s defender is/was sought after by other teams, due to being a 6-foot-7 and 226-pound right-shot physical defenceman with a wide wing span.
Desharnais’ journey to the NHL is a feel-good story — he overcame mental health issues and the adversity of being a seventh-round draft pick and now finds himself regularly in the Oilers’ lineup. That said, he’s recently received some exaggerated projections regarding his top-end potential. In early October, a hockey analyst said his top-end potential could be similar to teammate Mattias Ekholm and his latest top-end prediction drew parallels to Hall of Famer, Chris Pronger.
Oilers Likely Don’t Have a Pronger-Type Player in Desharnais
Desharnais shares some traits with Pronger, a former Oiler himself, who, during his playing days, stood at 6-foot-6, was aggressive and nasty, and weighed over 215 pounds. Yet, that’s probably where the similarities end.
However, Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean was recently on the “Oilers Now” show and the conversation topic shifted to the influence that newly hired Oilers’ assistant coach Paul Coffey could have on the team’s defencemen. He alluded that having the four-time Stanley Cup champion on the bench could unlock Desharnais’ potential, saying:
“I still think he’ll bring swagger to Desharnais, and you give him that [guidance] and I just think he [has] unlimited potential, he could be one of those Colton Parayko, Chris Pronger, massive defence that can do two things, he can be great in his own zone defensively and he can be a net front presence, once in a while, up front.”
– Ron MacLean
MacLean, a seasoned sportscaster with CBC, has a wealth of experience with hockey. However, I find his comparison of Desharnais’ top-end potential to Pronger a stretch. The retired Pronger was a true number one defenceman, and one of the best in the NHL for many seasons, amassing nearly 700 points with his outstanding hockey IQ, pinpoint passing, and hard shot. Nevertheless, these are attributes Desharnais does not currently possess and I find it hard to believe he could develop them at the age of 27.
Related: Ex-Oiler Feels Vincent Desharnais Could Reach Ekholm’s Level
Also, MacLean mentioned that Desharnais could perhaps reach the level of St. Louis Blues’ big defenceman Colton Parayko, but even that may be a reach as the Blues’ blueliner has four 30-plus point seasons under his belt and again, it’s unlikely Desharnais could unlock that type of offensive potential, even with Coffey’s help.
That said, MacLean brings up an interesting point about Desharnais being a net-front presence. It could be worth a look for the Oilers to park his 6-foot-7 frame in front of the opposing crease, much like former NHL player Dustin Byfuglien used to do, and use his big body to screen goalies on the man advantage. Edmonton’s power play is ranked 12th in the NHL, a sizeable drop from their usual first place, and it would be an intriguing experiment to see if Desharnais’ big body could help their second unit power play.
Desharnais’ Name Has Come Up in Trade Talks
Desharnais’ name has been thrown around in trade proposals as of late, like the previously mentioned one of the Maple Leafs’ proposal for Lafferty, and the fact his name has surfaced in trade talks means he’s starting to be recognized outside of Oil Country and around the league.
Most recently, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman was also on the “Oilers’ Now” show and the conversation shifted to a trade proposal of Desharnais for Maple Leafs’ goaltender, Martin Jones.
Friedman said he’s unsure if Jones would be a substantial upgrade over the Oilers’ current goalie situation and may not be worth trading Desharnais for him, but alluded that other teams around the NHL may have also shown interest in Desharnais, having said, “To me, he’s a player and he’s not making a ton of money. Now, I think in Edmonton, you’re probably looking and saying, eventually, you have to get Broberg into games and things like that, and you’re probably looking at your roster and you’re saying ‘Ok, what are we going to do here [with Desharnais].’” He added, “To me, he can play and Toronto had interest in him and I’m sure they’re not the only ones.”
Desharnais has imperfections in his game, but he’s managing decently on the third pair and he’s on a very team-friendly contract with a $762,500 cap hit per season and because of that, it’s worthwhile for the Oilers to keep him. However, I believe he still needs to take a step to be more consistent night in and night out.
Despite that, the Laval, PQ native has had some notable highlights this season, such as scoring his first NHL goal and dropping the gloves twice, with the most recent tilt on Nov. 18 against the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Austin Watson.
For many seasons in Edmonton, the Oilers were deemed too soft, and because of that Desharnais’ size and nastiness are intangibles that are valuable on the blue line. Despite the overly optimistic predictions for him, the Oilers should be pleased if he just tops out as a reliable bottom-pairing defender.
With the various comparisons Desharnais has received, what do you feel is his top-end potential? Have your say in the comments below!